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Lead Exposure and Healthy Homes: Prevention and Management for Healthcare Providers

The Lead and Healthy Housing Division runs the District’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and is charged with conducting active surveillance on lead exposure, charting epidemiologic patterns of exposure and monitoring childhood screening trends. The Division responds to incidents of lead exposure with medical care coordination for families, home lead inspections, and monitoring and enforcement activities as necessary. As a healthcare provider, District law and common practice make you a key partner in the effort to prevent lead exposure.

ALERT: Public Health Response Trigger for lead changes from 10 µg/dL to 5 µg/dL

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now uses a reference level of 5 µg/dL to identify children who have been exposed to lead and require case management.

District law requires ALL children to be tested twice by two – once between 6-14 months and again between 22 and 26 months. But there are also other specific circumstances that trigger screening requirements.Learn more.